In just her sixth Grand Slam and first as a seed, Iva Jovic stormed into her first major quarterfinal, crushing Yulia Putintseva 6-0, 6-1 in 53 minutes. It also makes her the youngest American to reach the Australian Open women’s quarterfinal since Venus Williams in 1998. Now eyeing Aryna Sabalenka and a semifinal spot, Jovic remains unfazed under the spotlight.

After her match, Jovic spoke about handling pressure ahead of her quarterfinal against Aryna Sabalenka. “I think I’m just gonna try to keep taking care of my side of the net,” she said. 

Jovic then addressed the magnitude of facing the world number one. “Obviously, she’s number one for a reason and has had so much success at this tournament, but that’s what I want. I said it last year that I hoped to play her this year because you definitely want to play the best and see how it goes. I’m really excited.”

The 18-year-old continues to impress in Melbourne. Like Venus Williams once did, Iva Jovic has reached the Australian Open quarterfinals without dropping a set. Her run has been marked by calm, control, and confidence.

Jovic showed a brief hint of nerves early in the match. She faced a couple of break points in the opening game. She responded by winning four straight points to hold serve for 1-0.

From there, she settled quickly. Jovic began finding winners with ease, especially on return. Her timing and shot selection stood out throughout the match.

In the fourth game, she created a triple break point. After Putintseva saved one, Jovic struck a clean backhand winner to break for a 4-0 lead. Momentum stayed firmly on her side.

She followed with another backhand winner to hold serve to love. Jovic then earned a third break and closed out the opening set in just 25 minutes.

The second set followed the same pattern. Jovic continued to attack and stayed solid on serve. She landed 71% of first serves, winning 67% of those points and 73% on second serve.

Putintseva showed frustration, even tossing her racket subtly. She broke Jovic once to make it 4-1, but the shift was short-lived. Jovic broke right back and served out the match, the fastest of this Australian Open so far.

Afterward, Jovic wrote “Final 8” on the camera lens. She has now reached the quarterfinals in all three tournaments to start her 2026 season, the youngest to do so since Maria Sharapova in 2005. She will now face world No. 1 for the first time on the WTA Tour, with strong backing from some top professionals.

Novak Djokovic’s advice inspires Iva Jovic to her first top-10 win

Iva Jovic captured her first WTA 500 title in Guadalajara last September. She began the 2026 season strongly. She finished runner-up at the Hobart International. Her momentum has carried into Melbourne, where she is yet to drop a set.

Her recent win over Italian two-time major finalist Jasmine Paolini marked another milestone. Jovic defeated the world No. 8, 6-2, 7-6 (3). That victory became her first career win over a top-10 player. It also highlighted her growing belief on the big stage.

The Paolini win was also her 10th victory of the season. That total leads all players on the WTA Tour so far. It followed semifinal runs in Auckland and a final appearance in Hobart. Jovic has shown consistency across multiple tournaments.

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After the match, Jovic revealed a key source of inspiration. A conversation with Novak Djokovic stayed with her. The exchange left a lasting impression before she stepped on court.

“He gave me some very attentive tips for my game and something I can try to incorporate into this match that I just played,” Jovic said in her post-match press conference on Friday, “so that was one of the things in the forefront of my mind, because I think when Novak gives you some advice, you follow it!”

Jovic’s connection to Djokovic runs deeper than admiration alone. She frequently visits Serbia, spending time in Belgrade and Leskovac, where she has family. Her respect for Djokovic has grown through those ties.

“You always think about those moments where you’re going to meet your idols a little bit, and I think sometimes for certain people it can be a little bit deflating if they are maybe not as nice or as open as you anticipated,” she said.

Jovic now prepares for her biggest test yet. World No. 1 Aryna Sabalenka has also not dropped a set in Melbourne. Sabalenka has reached 13 straight Grand Slam quarterfinals. She is chasing a fourth consecutive Australian Open final. Their clash headlines Rod Laver Arena on January 27. 

The stage is set for a defining battle.